The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) has dismissed allegations against its former Director-General, Kwame Owusu, describing them as “blatant falsehood that is bringing the reputation of the authority into disrepute.”
Addressing a press conference in Accra yesterday to respond to media reports and commentaries about the actions of the former Director-General before leaving office, Captain Paapa Asuako-Owiredu, Deputy Director, in-Charge of Search and Rescue, GMA, denied that the authority spent GHC10,652 to organise lunch for eight persons at a single meeting.
He said the amount was rather the cost of lunch for three stakeholders and management meetings.
On the allegations that the former boss wasted public funds to renovate a two-bedroom house, he explained that the funds were used for the construction and walling of a new bungalow which comprised an executive residence with four bedrooms, library, a separate guest house, among others on the same compound.
Capt. Asuako-Wiredu stated that the GMA spent GHC135,000 to organise the end-of-year party for 500 people and not 200 as alleged in various reports.
Enumerating some achievements chalked under the leadership of the former Director-General, he said the authority was able to record a turnaround in profit levels in 2017 and 2018.
“In 2016, the GMA made a loss of GHC2.2 million. When he took over in 2017, revenue grew from GHC68 million to GHC99 million. Within the same period, expenditure also reduced from GHC71 million to GHC56 million.
In 2018, revenue grew by 42 per cent to GHC141 million and posted a surplus of GHC68 million. The GMA’s assets also recorded a further growth of 85 per cent, showing that investments in assets are helping to boost our regulatory work and at the same time generating the necessary revenue,” he stated.
The authority, Capt. Asuako-Wiredu, said, also for the first time acquired seven patrol speed boats to aid the effective implementation of the functions of monitoring activities at sea and inland waterways of the country to ensure maritime safety and security.
Currently, two additional vessels which would conduct patrol operations on the Volta River, were under construction adding that “prior to Mr Owusu’s tenure, the GMA had not had a single vessel in 14 years.”
In addition to that, the authority, he said, had three trash skimmers, a type of boat which were used to clean rubbish and minimise pollution.
Among other things, he said, the GMA introduced a new technology, supported the Navy, Narcotics and Drug Control Board (NACOB) and Fisheries Commission to keep Ghana’s waters secure, invested in an office complex all under the leadership of the former Director-General.
Following the appointment of Kwame Owusu as the Board Chairman of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) by the President, some groups and anti-corruption crusaders have called on the President to rescind the decision since investigations into the allegations were yet to be concluded.
BY CLAUDE NYARKO ADAMS
